South African university students (n = 18; aged 21-28) participated in the LifeMatters train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop. Ten trained participants (n = 10; aged 21-23) then implemented the program as youth facilitators at three local schools. The study aimed to describe changes in participants resulting from the TTT and implementation experience.…

This study examines semester schools, which have elements associated with transformative learning, and an adolescent population, where transformative learning has less commonly been studied. We administered the Learning Activities Survey pre/post semester (n = 173) and followed the survey with semistructured interviews (n = 30) to assess whether…

Means-end analysis was used to examine the linkages between elements of an Outward Bound course and the personal benefits and outcomes obtained or reinforced by course completion. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 216 persons, who completed a course at the North Carolina Outward Bound School. Respondents were aged 14-66 (83…

A night-time canoe trip during an outdoor education program in New Zealand became a powerful experience of "sacred place." Geopiety (attachment and reverence for particular places) is evident in the cultures of all people. Outdoor education can foster spiritual growth, thus educating the whole child, by providing opportunities for…

This proceedings contains transcripts, presentations, and workshop summaries from a 2-day conference on experiential learning in youth development, held by the Brathay Hall Trust in the English Lake District. Brathay is a British educational charity that offers a variety of youth development courses, ranging from outdoor adventure activities to…

A study examined the learning and character development effects of the outdoor wilderness experience. The research consisted of a retrospective study in which surveys were completed by 429 participants in outdoor programs sponsored by the Student Conservation Association, the National Outdoor Leadership School, and Outward Bound; and a…

Discusses the origins and context of adolescence as a cultural phenomenon and illustrates how rites of passage can nurture healthy developmental changes in adolescents. Describes and evaluates the application of a rite of passage during a backpacking experience that was designed to usher teens from adolescence to adulthood in a Christian context.…

Single-sex adventure education programs for adolescent women give them space to challenge traditional feminine roles, relate to other women without the pressures of mixed-sex groups, and examine issues such as personal relationships and health within a safe environment. If there are insufficient women facilitators, male staff should have awareness…

Outdoor behavioral healthcare (OBH) is an emerging mental health intervention/treatment to help adolescents overcome emotional, psychological, and addiction problems. Currently, over 100 OBH programs in the United States use elements of wilderness therapy to address adolescents' problem behaviors and foster responsibility and personal growth.…

Discusses the importance of rites of passage to traditional cultures, especially the vision quest of Native Americans. Suggests that the absence of such rites in materialistic cultures has led to a separation from nature, which underlies many modern problems. Describes Wendl-Berry's vision quest and a center that offers vision quests of various…

A study examined the impact of outdoor adventure trips on 37 urban adolescents' self-perception. Results from pretest, posttest, and 4-month followup surveys and interviews indicate that participants' self-perceptions of social acceptance and behavioral conduct improved immediately after the trip, and that some behavioral conduct impacts remained…

Negative views about the elderly held by adolescents can result in a negative outlook on aging. Physical, mental, and social aging experiential activities are given which can be done at home or at school. (JN)

The third biannual Brathay Youth Conference focused on ways to help young people negotiate the key transitions in their lives and the role of informal and experiential learning in such strategies. This document summarizes speeches, workshops, and research reports presented at the conference. The speeches were (1) welcome and introduction (Steve…

A 4-day adventure ropes course with 20 Colombian adolescents who belonged to gangs that worked for drug traffickers produced noticeable changes in their attitudes and behavior. As a result, two of them left their barrio in search of a better life, and two began work as gardeners in a public park. (TD)

Contemporary schooling, particularly high schools, could benefit from a return to the model of Plato's Academy in which ecstatic experience provided a central and informative role in addressing the higher stages of human development. Supplementing traditional curricula with integral practices that address body, mind, and spirit, and reviving the…